The Last Days of John Lennon

By: James Patterson, Casey Sherman, Dave Wedge

Narrated by: Matthew Wolf, K.C. Clyde

Discover one of the greatest true crime stories in music history, as only James Patterson can tell it.

With the Beatles, John Lennon surpasses his youthful dreams, achieving a level of superstardom that defies classification. “We were the best bloody band there was,” he says. “There was nobody to touch us.” Nobody except the original nowhere man, Mark David Chapman. Chapman once worshipped his idols from afar—but now harbors grudges against those, like Lennon, whom he feels betrayed him. He’s convinced Lennon has misled fans with his message of hope and peace. And Chapman’s not staying away any longer.

By the summer of 1980, Lennon is recording new music for the first time in years, energized and ready for it to be “(Just Like) Starting Over.” He can’t wait to show the world what he will do.

Neither can Chapman, who quits his security job and boards a flight to New York, a handgun and bullets stowed in his luggage.

The greatest true-crime story in music history, as only James Patterson can tell it. Enriched by exclusive interviews with Lennon’s friends and associates, including Paul McCartney, The Last Days of John Lennon is the thrilling true story of two men who changed history: One whose indelible songs enliven our world to this day—and the other who ended the beautiful music with five pulls of a trigger.

Critic reviews

“A must read for music fans, true crime aficionados, or anyone looking for a deep, insightful dive into a dark chapter of American history.”
—Town & Country

“Incredibly tense and thriller-like … I totally recommend it.”—Lee Child, #1 bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series

“A first-rate book . . . a winner.”—Baltimore Post Examiner

Recommend

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book as I consider myself only a casual Beatles fan. This book, however, was very interesting and insightful. Author James Patterson shares with us many stories from John Lennon’s friends, such as Elton John, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, and Paul McCartney. We also get a glimpse into his song writing process, drug use and his closest relationships.

Interspersed between stories about John, we are introduced to a man named Mark David Chapman. We learn about his alleged thoughts and motives leading up to the fateful night in December of 1980: the night Mark Chapman murdered one of the greatest rock icons ever.

Enjoyable Listen

Having followed the Beatles and John Lennon since 1964, I didn't find a lot of unfamiliar information in this book but that did not make the story less interesting. The authors track Mark Chapman from a few days before he shot Lennon, while at the same time tracing Lennon's life from the beginning through the Beatles and then as a solo artist, husband and father. The narration is interesting, with voices that are not impersonations but convey the actual words of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono and many others. The story of John Lennon and the Beatles is an important part of the music and culture in the past 60 years, and this book does a good job of telling that story.

Unique

I thoroughly was entranced by this book. It is not the usual story of John Lennon or, of his killer. The story envelopes you in the teen struggles of John and the other Beatles to become a polished musical group, often adding humor as they managed to make it to the top. They also suffered sorrows and yet they made it! They were astonished by the twists and turns they followed to become the best. They were scared at times of all the overwhelming crowds and how to navigate their ways. Eventually each seemed to branch out into a path of their own but continued to love & respect each other.
Yet, totally as if from another book, a chapter would pop up now & then about one lonely, abnormal, persistent man with one goal in his life, to kill John Lennon. Though we knew how the story would end, it was easy to get caught up in John’s personal problems and joys, post Beatle years. And so, when the chapter came through, where the murderer succeeded, you were not ready for it, and it was as if it had happened all over again. I was placed back in 1980, in tears.

I remember that heartbreak

I loved reading about his life and days before his tragic death. What an amazing, complex man he was! He is still missed to this day!

Not last days, all the days

I wasn’t really looking for a whole bio of John’s involvement with the Beatles. 85% is all background. The reader was good, the story okay…. Skipped a bunch. I was expecting detail around their last days in New York, that is a minor part of it.